REPUTATION

Since 2003, the team at Excelerate Performance has worked tirelessly to build up a solid reputation as a reliable, honest and efficient performance, repair and service center. We have serviced thousands of vehicles, processed thousands of e-commerce transactions, distributed thousands of parts, while concurrently giving each customer the personal attention that is necessary. We believe that this tried and true approach, coupled with excellent communication and extreme attention to detail, produces a reputation that new and existing customers can be confident in. The reviews and testimonies below are evidence of that fact. If you're new to Excelerate Performance, we cordially invite you to become part of the family, as so many others have. Thank you and we look forward to meeting your automotive aspirations.

READ WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

I am a PITA client and a perfectionist. I over research everything, overbuild everything, over question everything, hear every squeak and noise and I never do what everyone else does so it is almost always custom. That being said the team at Excelerate has been great to me. They answer my questions, give me feedback and suggestions and roll with my whacky ideas. They are currently helping me build out two of our track cars into even more track friendly beasts. Thank you so much!

I’ve been going to XLR8 for years and the service has always been great. They are an honest group of bright, thoughtful auto enthusiasts. Work is high quality and the attention to detail is just as good as the personal service they offer to their customers. I would not go anywhere else if I wanted high quality performance work done to my cars.

XLR8 got my tires in within hours and I was able get them install the next day. Everyone there was super helpful and I want to say thank you to Bobby in particular who installed them on my car. He took great care and nailed the tricky alignment. It took a little longer than expected but once he was done it was spot on! Rides like a dream now. So glad I didn’t skimp out and went to one of those local chain tire shop.

The service (customer service and service on my car) is above and beyond any I’ve dealt with before! My car is fixed perfectly and I am super picky! I will recommend XLR8 to everyone! You certainly have my business from now on!

Josh, Justin, Greg, and the whole team at Excelerate are knowledgeable, professional, efficient, and personable. I would recommend anyone needing anything from basic maintenance to sophisticated tuning, building, or diagnosis to bring their vehicle to be handled by XLR8.

Knowledgeable and honest. No hidden fees, responsive, mechanical intelligent, amicable, detailed and kind. Found these guys trough a random search to fix my German problem child and they delivered on time, price and parts.

Every step of the way either Justin or the owner called and emailed me. Have them an impossible time line and they completed it with hours to spare. The ability to be detailed and explain procedures on factual timelines is a super power they have. They also have a magical parts department that can make anything appear immediately.

Called Excelerate Performance about some specific items and the staff there was not only courteous but knowledge and willing to help. I got what I needed from them without any issues. 10/10, would do business with again.

Had an amazing experience with the guys at Excelerate Performance before, during and after my service! I had called prior in regards to an AWE exhaust, and both Greg and Josh were a huge help with honest suggestions, feedback and tips all within my best interest. Such a beautiful facility, professional appearance, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and amazing work!!

Excelerate is awesome for all kinds of work on German cars. I had work done on my Audi and will definitely be back for more. Their mechanics go the extra mile and seem more qualified than most dealership services. I highly recommend them!

Had them do the APR pulley kit and tune on my 2011 S4. Justin Rogers was a great help, he was very helpful throughout the entire process. Very happy with the service they provided. I would highly recommend this establishment for any service or performance related upgrades.

Excelerate was able to take on my fairly large job on a whim. In addition they did a lot of background research to ensure they were solving my complex work the correct way; which is extremely important since they warranty their work. I’ve been going to Excelerate for almost 5 years now and will keep going back.

Words can’t express how satisfied I am with the service provided. Customer service is top notch. Direct, accurate and most importantly honest. I also have to mention that their waiting area is well organized and clean. Excelerate performance was recommended by a good friend and I myself would also recommend this place. The almost two hours drive it took me to get there is well worth it. If you need a trustworthy place. Look no further.

Very honest and helpful, before I brought my here to get serviced or any work done. It was always giving problems, but after bringing my car to Excelerate it’s been driving amazing and I know they did it the right way. Whenever I have question or need a opinion about something, Excelerate is quick with response.

Great shop for upgrades, tuning, or maintenance work! I’ve had my Jetta TDi, Golf, and 911 Turbo all worked on here. Very professional and extremely knowledgeable, particularly when it comes to Volkswagen Group vehicles. Waiting area is clean and staff are always helpful. Rates are very reasonable, especially considering the quality of mechanic you’re getting. They offer different hourly rates depending on whether your car is Japanese/American, German, or Exotic. Overall, excellent customer service and very good mechanics, I just wish I lived closer to Branford…

Spoke to the service manager about a problem I’m having with my 2010 Volkswagen Passat. The gentleman I spoke to was extremely knowledgable and helpful with my problem. I’ve spoken to many repair shops about it and nobody describe it as well as these guys. I know have a better idea of where to go from here just from speaking with him for about 5 minutes. Great customer service. Sad I’m across the country or I would 100% bring my vw here!

I’ve been taking my 01 TT 225 to Excelerate Performance for well over a year now. These guys do great work, service is outstanding and they take pride in what they do! (Rare these days.). Their new facility is outstanding and boasts a comfortable waiting area…

Great place to get your hot card hotter. They did a fantastic job on my Audi S5 with an APR remap, Euro code sway bars, AWE Tuning performance exhaust and Stop Tech street performance brakes and rotors. It like a different car now. The crew, also, is top notch.

Very professional and knowledgeable service staff and mechanics. Great shop for Volkswagen group vehicles especially, but they also do Japanese and American. Good value considering the level of mechanic you’re getting, especially for Porsche. I have had both my Jetta TDi and Golf 1.8T flashed here with an APR tune. Also have had them do minor work on my 911.

Excelerate exceeded my expectations with prompt responses, early completion of my clutch replacement, and the continued recommendations and help they provide. The shop manager gave me a tour of the facility and it is clear by their inventory that these mechanics are professionals with a dedication to their customer’s vehicles. The cleanliness of the shop is enough to bring me back as it shows they care about their workspace and that’s important given the complex machinery they use. Looking foward to building a relationship with Excelerate.

The service was excellent. I told them what time I was going to come in to get a tune for my car and when I arrived, there was no waiting. My car runs excellent and will be a returning customer. Everyone that works there seems to be very knowledgeable about all types of cars.

One of your employees happens to be a friend of the family and spoke very highly of your shop. I didn’t know that XLR8 worked on everyday cars (BMW) in which he told me yes. I am so happy with my experience and will the service done on my car, without a doubt, I will tell my friends and be a returning customer!

Nice shop and knowledgeable staff. Friendly and clean. My APR stage 1 for my 09 A4 2.0T works great. They had a special which included a free tee shirt…no one gives stuff away nowadays so the feeling of my business being appreciated was great. I will definitely be back again soon. Thanks guys!!

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FEEDBACK

We value our customers and our reputation, and we always are looking to improve. So, if you have a concern, an issue or constructive criticism please contact the owner of Excelerate Performance directly. Joshua is always interested in learning how we as a team and a company are doing in our customers' eyes. He will carefully review your e-mail; please send it to joshua@excelerateperformance.com

Dan Beach

Mechanic

About Dan

Dan comes to Exclerate Performance with an extensive automotive mechanical background and former foreman of a local VW Dealership. He is ASE Certified and Master Certified in all Levels of Volkswagen. Like any VW mechanic Dan is diehard VW, he drives a 2001 Beetle 1.8T and a 1988 Porsche 944S.

So what does Dan do when he isn’t wrenching in the service bays? He is busy wrenching on a 24 hours of Lemons car, a 1979 Chevrolet Chevette with a mid engine Subaru motor. How awesome is that?

When it boils down, Dan has a true passion for cars which started back in his yesteryears. As a child he grew up playing with cars, taking them apart but as he got older, he learned to put them back together. From this point, the rest was history. Fixing, modifying, repairing, racing, and driving have all been a big part of Dan’s life and it shows in his work.

Life's a Beach!

Craig Miller

Performance Sales Specialist

About Craig

Well this is embarrassing.... I've not had a chance to tell you all about Craig. He is taking and EXTRA long time with his bio so he can be ultra detailed with his life. We might publish it into a manifesto... we shall see when its completed.

Nicole Costello

Customer Service

About Nicole

Nicole has been a car enthusiast for as long as she can remember. He fondest memories that started it all were when her father would work on cars of his own. The exposure led her to experience working on vehicles herself which ultimately led her to attend Porter and Chester for automotive where she graduated in 2010. This passion led Nicole down a path that created her desire to work in the automotive field. Fast forward and after two years of being at Excelerate Performance Nicole has created and developed new roles for the company. She can be found holding it down out on the loading dock overseeing inventory and shipping/receiving as well as various book keeping tasks inside the office.

Nicole is not only passionate about her love for cars, she also has a few projects of her own. She owns two GTI’s, one MK4 and one MK4.. of course they are both VR6’s. Nicole also has her own Etsy store where she sells stuffed toys and other various crafts she designs and sews herself. How cool is that?

Justin Rogers

Service Manager

About Justin

Justin started two years ago at Excelreate Performance as multi-role aficionado. Forum sales, service writing, and installations were his job description, so you never saw him standing still or if you did it wasn’t for long. For the past year and a half, he has been in the shoes as a full time mechanic.

Justin is very passionate about cars and is very interested in how things work which makes him so great at what he does. He spends the time to figure things out the right way and knows when to ask for help so tearing things down and putting them back together serve a dual purpose. Justin’s appreciation for cars came from his uncle who was into older Mercedes Benz’s and his Grandfather who shared the same mechanical values. With German cars always on his mind, Justin new he just had to have an Audi. But those who know Audi know the problems that come with them. Not being able to afford to pay someone to fix it, he took matters into his own hands.

When Justin isn’t busy working on Audi’s and Volkswagens and expanding his credit line on the Snap On truck, you can also find him flipping burgers on the grille or smoking a brisket…a foodie at heart. Justin is also passionate about his music and bettering his life with experience. Justin can be seen around New Haven County in his E39 540i M sport or his highly sought after (1 of 133 imported) Audi 200 Quattro wagon. He is also known as the shop humorist… if you need horse sense or comeback in topic of conversation, you best bet your most prized possession that he has something in his bag of wit.

Most recently Justin was promoted and made his way back up to the office front from the shop. Justin is now the Sales and Service Manager so if you have technical questions, questions about products or services Justin can help you reach your destination!

Joshua Lockwood

Owner & CEO

About Joshua

Excelerate Performance is owned by Joshua Lockwood. For over two decades his hobby has been automotive related and more specifically modifying cars, but it’s in his blood too as his father loved fast cars. Once he got a taste for performance the button was switched and he began modifying his first vehicle heavily. After that he began advising, selling and installing performance parts for friends and family. With this love of vehicles and love for business the decision to go into business for himself was obvious. Joshua completed his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Quinnipiac University in 2003 and never looked back. Armed with entrepreneurial knowledge, an insatiable desire for the performance market, and some hard earned funds, he began Excelerate Performance.

Although Excelerate Performance is an integral part of Josh’s life, it isn’t all business all the time. When he’s not at work, he’s spending his time with his wife and children. Together they enjoy good food, good friends, and time with their family. They also help others in the community and are devoted to their religion.